5 Ways to Prepare your Littles for a Stress-Free Family Session

Most families dread the thought of trying to get their kids to stand still and smile for family photos. This post will help put you at ease and give you some great ideas!

Kids are some of my favorite people to capture during sessions. They are goofy, adorable, and unpredictable. When you do some easy prep work ahead of time, your session will be FUN, painless, and easy.

The day of family photos arrives. Your kids have been tired and cranky, and the thought of taking them to the family photo session you have booked that evening makes you want to cancel. YOU CAN DO THIS!! Let me put you at ease by reading this post.

I’m an elementary teacher and simply LOVE kids!! My family sessions are kid led. What do I mean by that? When you show up for your session, we normally first get the quick posed shots. Then, for the fun! I let the kids lead. If there’s a spot they like, we go on a little adventure to that area next. If they seem antsy, we play some games that involve the whole family to allow them to get their energy out and get some really cute candid shots along the way. When littles are present, I try to make sessions really fun for them. Kids should look forward to family sessions with me every year. If your child is shy, I give them a little time to warm up by first playing some games with their family before snapping photos…sometimes I put my camera up and involve myself in the game to help them feel more comfortable before we begin. Kids get lots of jobs during your session so that they feel apart of the event, while giving them fun ways to be involved instead of standing and waiting.

1) Make sure all kids get a clean diaper or get to use the restroom shortly before your session.

In the midst of trying to get everyone ready, don’t forget to have everyone go to the restroom. Most outdoor locations don’t have a restroom (You can always ask me about your location!), and it’s important to give everyone a change to go before arriving. This is an easy first step in keeping everyone happy and wanting to stay.

2) Involve your kids in helping to pick out their outfit.

While you don’t want them to pick out something that isn’t in the same color palette for your photos, you can help give them some options so they feel invested in the event as well. Maybe pick out two outfits in the same color and have them pick their favorite, or choose two different bows that go well with your daughter’s flowy dress and have her pick which one she would like. Look for the little ways to help your kids feel like they have a little bit of choice as they prepare for photos in a reasonable way.

3) Tell your kids they are going to have a lot of fun during photos.

Instead of threatening kids to smile for photos and making the event seem like a stressful, daunting occasion, talk to them about how they will get to play games during their session. They will get to help me in fun ways, chase one another during some games, laugh a lot, and simply have fun. The more you talk having fun as a family and playing together, the less intimidating it is for kids.

4) Rather than bribing them during a session with candy, be ready to enjoy some candid moments that don’t need bribery.

You are scared your kids won’t smile when they need to, and so you bring lots of candy. Normally, I would say that bribery doesn’t work well for kids. However, I trust YOU as the parent. If you do choose to bring some candy to your session, I suggest not telling them about it unless it’s absolutely necessary. I also suggest bringing something really small that they can eat very quickly such as a skittle. If you brings things like bags of snacks or a sucker, it will take them a long time to finish them, causing not only a delay in your session but that snack or candy may make it into many photos.

So, what should you do instead if your kids are just not digging it? Please know that it is ok for you to also initiate candid moments alongside of me. Maybe you all are in the middle of a couple of posed family photos, and you have a kid who is refusing to smile. Make it fun for them. It’s ok to take a break. You know what makes your child laugh and what they like to do. Sometimes, it’s as simple as holding them so you can give them a few tickles during the photos. Maybe you suddenly spin them around a few times, tell your family to follow the airplane and fly that child around as an airplane for 10 steps, etc. Don’t get frustrated. Just change things up! You don’t need my permission to do anything during your session. I have lots of fun ideas up my sleeve, but more than anything I know that you know your kids best!

5) Plan a fun surprise with me for the end of your session.

I love planning some fun, unexpected surprises for kids at the end of a session. While different locations lend themselves to different types of surprises, bring your ideas to me as we plan your session, and I will have some ideas too!

Some different types of surprises may look like packing some popsicles in a super insulated lunch box, bringing some confetti poppers, buying some silly string, telling me a few of their favorite dancing songs for me to play for a family dance party at the end, having a pizza picnic at the end, etc. There are lots of ways that we can spend the last 15 minutes of your session in an unforgettable way that also gives you some really cute candid photos!